Mattala Airport....

What do you think about Mattala airport,like harbor or not?

Watch what happens both Airport and Port in years to come ! huge benifits to be received.

No body will walk as soon as they born.It need some time.Better to think like a long term inverter not as day trader.

This was written in one of my earlier posts.

Think of it this way......What is the alternative airport sri lanka has? Where can you land a airbus or a 747? If a large plan cannot land at BIA due to bad weather or due to runway damage (only 1 runway) where do you land them?

Only option left is India. How do you move passengers to Sri lanka again? Bring them in small plans and land them at Ratmalana? Imagine the cost involved. (Charter, Hotel, airport fees etc....) Usually airlines consider all these factors. To my knowledge, ratmalana or any other airport in sri lanka cannot land large airplanes like 747 or airbus 340.

Other option is to expand BIA and give additional runways, but this does not help in case of bad weather.

I still wonder why an alternative seaport was built at Hambantota. This port is 15 years too late. Others like India (chennai port) has captured the business from us because of their future planning.

Good concept but wrong location.
Since no option people will slowly adopt to this new Airport

I think we should know, the airport, harbour, highways etc. are sub items in a big master plan.

I agree with UKBoy about the location.

Somehow, we did not expect it going far away from South. I think Monaragala was considered but the Knucles hills obstruct the 3 degree approaching path .

I am not an expert to comment on location but when it comes to this type of big project there are certain factors which affects the decision of location etc except the suitability of location especially in country like us. And we can not blame (or can we ?) for consideration of those factors when we think about human nature.

[quote="hawklk"]This was written in one of my earlier posts.

Think of it this way......What is the alternative airport sri lanka has? Where can you land a airbus or a 747? If a large plan cannot land at BIA due to bad weather or due to runway damage (only 1 runway) where do you land them?

I have few questions to ask

1.I would like to know whether this kind of situation arised earlier? That is land in India due to runaway damage?

2. Can we earn the amount invested( loan amount and interest ) as expected.

3. Can't we invest this money fruitfully to gain more income than an additional air port?

Your reason looks so funny. I never heard this kind of explanation from any of economist/ analyst... If SL need additional airport to land Airbus during bad weather, what abt its day today running cost? Its maintenance cost may be 1000 times bigger than the cost incurred by bad weather incl. hotels and transport. And effect of bad weather is very rare in Colombo. It seems that you have very poor financial decision making background...

hawklk wrote:This was written in one of my earlier posts.

Think of it this way......What is the alternative airport sri lanka has? Where can you land a airbus or a 747? If a large plan cannot land at BIA due to bad weather or due to runway damage (only 1 runway) where do you land them?

Only option left is India. How do you move passengers to Sri lanka again? Bring them in small plans and land them at Ratmalana? Imagine the cost involved. (Charter, Hotel, airport fees etc....) Usually airlines consider all these factors. To my knowledge, ratmalana or any other airport in sri lanka cannot land large airplanes like 747 or airbus 340.

Other option is to expand BIA and give additional runways, but this does not help in case of bad weather.

I still wonder why an alternative seaport was built at Hambantota. This port is 15 years too late. Others like India (chennai port) has captured the business from us because of their future planning.

The future generation might not have to struggle so much if the present administration do their job properly. Now that the infrastructure is built and the balance is in the hands of the officials who is given a salary and a responsibility.Then certainly the future generation will have to pay!

Maximizing the output of agricultural & industrial zone products targeted for exportation keep both harbor & airport busy to some extent. More attention to be focused on the conversation of natural resources such as forest, sanctuaries, rivers & reservoirs etc..while extending the development of infrastructure.
Critics on such projects become invalid now as the construction is already done & operations are committed. What authorities should focus on, not only ambitious plan to generate huge revenue but also generating the high return on investment justifying the significance of such developments for the benefit of future generations in the country.

Don't be backward look to the future!!!!! there are issues but what project in a third world country lik us have no issues ? when tourist arrival increase in next five ten years....BIA can't handle ? u hv to prepare now....some government investments will on get benifits in ten 15 years....look singapore , malaysia the decisions taken long time go benifits showing now.....insurance premiums for flight will come down as well due to having two airports....location had to be in line with, port and other projects that weill support each other.... sri lankans need look future and plan now and impliment...... now the govt should do more to attract more ships....more airlines....it will take time but just like the war ....in years to come we will feel benifit.....when war was fought everyone said the can't happen ...but slowly and staedily war ended....nothing happens in a day....specily for small 3rd world country like lanka.

I agree with you Aubrey Perera...sad to note some people are still living in a well and think the whole well is the entire world.

Aubrey Perera wrote:Don't be backward look to the future!!!!! there are issues but what project in a third world country lik us have no issues ? when tourist arrival increase in next five ten years....BIA can't handle ? u hv to prepare now....some government investments will on get benifits in ten 15 years....look singapore , malaysia the decisions taken long time go benifits showing now.....insurance premiums for flight will come down as well due to having two airports....location had to be in line with, port and other projects that weill support each other.... sri lankans need look future and plan now and impliment...... now the govt should do more to attract more ships....more airlines....it will take time but just like the war ....in years to come we will feel benifit.....when war was fought everyone said the can't happen ...but slowly and staedily war ended....nothing happens in a day....specily for small 3rd world country like lanka.

http://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/ambassador-nonis-refrained-from-circulating-mattala-rajapaksa-newsletter/

Article published in the souvenir to mark the opening of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.

If the amount of money invested on these two projects had been invested for
commercial agriculture,industries and cottage industries People of Hanbantota District would be benefited more

Any way we cant do any thing now

Govt should try to utilize above facilities to develop agriculture and industries in addition to tourism

Foolish explanations will complicate the problem further

Ayyoo our money.... :-(

Just imagine total public wealth spent for harbour, airport & cricket stadiums. That massive amount further goes up by adding extra cost of debt service, inefficiencies, corruptions & opportunity cost.

No doubt such projects are essential for any country for future development but not all at once reaching foreign debt 40% of GDP. Return of investment is not foreseeable yet.

Look at the amount of capital spent for number of stadiums around the country. Everyone knows what is happening to Dambulla stadium. Most of them are underutilized massively incurring a heavy maintenance cost.

United government should attempt make those projects viable & bring them at least to break even point in mid term. What public expecting is no more burden on their shoulders by paying taxes to maintain those & sealing non ending vociferous comments.

worthiness wrote:Just imagine total public wealth spent for harbour, airport & cricket stadiums. That massive amount further goes up by adding extra cost of debt service, inefficiencies, corruptions & opportunity cost.

No doubt such projects are essential for any country for future development but not all at once reaching foreign debt 40% of GDP. Return of investment is not foreseeable yet.

Look at the amount of capital spent for number of stadiums around the country. Everyone knows what is happening to Dambulla stadium. Most of them are underutilized massively incurring a heavy maintenance cost.

United government should attempt make those projects viable & bring them at least to break even point in mid term. What public expecting is no more burden on their shoulders by paying taxes to maintain those & sealing non ending vociferous comments.

At least we should reach the BEP in mid term of this unplanned capital expenditure by ex-rajapaksha.

Dhehan wrote:

worthiness wrote:Just imagine total public wealth spent for harbour, airport & cricket stadiums. That massive amount further goes up by adding extra cost of debt service, inefficiencies, corruptions & opportunity cost.

No doubt such projects are essential for any country for future development but not all at once reaching foreign debt 40% of GDP. Return of investment is not foreseeable yet.

Look at the amount of capital spent for number of stadiums around the country. Everyone knows what is happening to Dambulla stadium. Most of them are underutilized massively incurring a heavy maintenance cost.

United government should attempt make those projects viable & bring them at least to break even point in mid term. What public expecting is no more burden on their shoulders by paying taxes to maintain those & sealing non ending vociferous comments.

At least we should reach the BEP in mid term of this unplanned capital expenditure by ex-rajapaksha.

what ever the economic repercussions the ongoing bad politically motivated decisions will further be strengthened hate politics in sri Lanka, that is not good for an enabling political culture

He he... we still talk about Mattala and its cost.

26 billion LKR. Repayment 2 billion per year.

At least, it is there to use as paddy storage by two legged donkeys.
What about the billions robbed using T Bond gimmicks. ?

Aney Chinwi sir getting upset when two leg donkeys at least trying to get something out of this iditotic idea of having an airport middle of nowhere. That shows the size of MRs brain when comes to developments in a poor country.

Don't worry they use this as a paddy storage only this year.
Next year situation will be changed a bit.

I think now it is a sunk cost and hence if you used it for Paddy Storage or herding cow it would not be bad. (so long as the infrastructure is not damaged such that there would be some more public funding spent on fixing that!!!)

But, from a long term persepective I expect the government to come up with a plan to develop those areas so that there will be an opportunity to use this air port as an airport. It should be able to self sustain. 

Pointing fingers would not do any good to us; the general public. 

I think if they have a plan and consult the right people (lot of Sri Lankan experts are there) they can do it. Nothing is impossible. (If they thought Dubai was a dessert and no one would come, you would not see today's Dubai in its current form!!)

Anyone wants to share ideas please do so.

Government shopping for ideas on how to utilise Mattala profitably


Director General of Civil Aviation H.M.C. Nimalsiri, said said last week, government was looking abroad for ideas on how best use could be made of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA).
“We are going to call for expressions of interest to find to what kind of proposals people have in mind and see how it (Mattala) can be made use of,” he said.
He added, at present, there were only limited ideas as to how the facility could be profitably used. By calling for expressions of interest internationally he hoped new proposals could be generated.
He added the process would include publication of advertisements in foreign aviation magazines which are likely to cost the country considerably.
“Basically, we have spent some money and we have to spend some more money to make sure it (Mattala) can be made use of,” Mr Nimalsiri said.
Despite various concessions being granted to attract international airlines to the MIRA, they have not proved successful and the US$ 210 million MRIA has proved to be a white elephant ever since it was opened in an extravagant ceremony in March 2013.
During that period the airport was used mainly by the two state carriers -SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka. At present, FlyDubai operates a daily flight to Mattala while Rotana Jet operates flights twice a week.
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/151227/news/government-shopping-for-ideas-on-how-to-utilise-mattala-profitably-176638.html

Change Mattala airport to MR's holiday Bangalow....

Yahapalanaya wrote:Change Mattala airport to MR's holiday Bangalow....

paduru asse jathnake warrada